The place of pain

The miracle of melancholia - Los Angeles Times:

"does the American addiction to happiness make any sense, especially in light of the poverty, ecological disaster and war that now haunt the globe, daily annihilating hundreds if not thousands? Isn't it, in fact, a recipe for delusion?

And aren't we merely trying to slice away what is most probably an essential part of our hearts, that part that can reconcile us to facts, no matter how harsh, and that also can inspire us to imagine new and more creative ways to engage with the world? Bereft of this integral element of our selves, we settle for a status quo. We yearn for comfort at any cost. We covet a good night's sleep. We trade fortitude for blandness."

-- Eric G. Wilson is a professor of English at Wake Forest University and author of "Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy." (as published in the LA Times, 2-17-2008)


What is the place of pain in creativity, in functioning, in contributing? It is something I think about fairly often, as someone who struggles with pain, but also with self-pity. Which is which? How do I feel the deepest truest feelings, often the ones that aren't pretty or fun, without trivializing the pain of others, the more serious real issues in the world? How do I give place to the true questions and aches from which great ideas could spring, without dwelling and sinking into that dark place?

And, when the light does come forth and happier days beckon, how do I honor those times too - the ones that don't stab or prick and therefore sometimes don't seem worthy of mention.

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